Do you enjoy working with metal? Are there some projects that you have planned in your head, but cannot figure out how to create? I was working with my son to build him a small go-cart that we had designed on paper, but couldn't figure out how to shape the body the way that he wanted it to look. After days of brainstorming and several sheets of metal wasted, I decided to take the problem to the professional metal fabrication company near my house. What I learned really opened my eyes to some of the mistakes that my son and I were making. To learn how a metal fabrication company can help you with your projects, visit my site.
If you manufacture parts for clients, you need to make sure specifications are perfect before sending over their orders. First article inspections are designed to provide this data in an accurate and meaningful way. Remember this advice, and FAIs will be easy to manage each time.
Gain Access to Client Order Details
Before you even attempt to produce parts for clients, you will receive their order details. They will state what the client is looking for, whether it's specific heights, diameters, or widths. You need to access this data before you can move forward with a first article inspection.
If you have a sound client order management system, you shouldn't struggle with this. It should be as easy as pulling up the client's profile in your system. Take their order details and then cross-reference them with what your first article inspections find. Then you'll know if adjustments are necessary or if you're okay to proceed with this client-manufacturer relationship.
Work with a Proven Laboratory
You can save yourself a lot of fuss and time by having a first article inspection performed by a special lab that supports these inspections regardless of what parts you're making for clients. These labs have all of the appropriate testing equipment.
They also have professional inspectors that can ensure FAIs are carried out according to the right standards. They can even help you analyze the inspection results with each client's order details, seeing if defects are present.
Save Initial Analysis
You may perform a lot of tests on parts made for clients, but first article inspections are the starting point for everything else performed. So that future testing and part adjustments aren't hindered, you need to save results from the first article inspection.
Then you'll always be able to refer to this data when thinking about how to make your parts better or to address specific defects that keep showing up in manufacturing. If you hire a first article inspection laboratory to help you with this analysis, then they should have their own means of documenting relevant data found. Then you can simply request information when it's needed.
Clients receiving parts that you manufacture deserve nothing but the best, and in order for you to give them this, first article inspections must be conducted early on in manufacturing. If it is, you'll gain a lot of insights about potential defects that could be holding your parts back.
Share4 May 2021
